The use of implantable medical devices in the treatment of diseased vasculature and other body conduits has become commonplace in the medical field. These implantable devices can be used in applications where a low bleed implantable device is desired wherein the implantable device may be punctured (e.g., by suture needles and/or dialysis needles) and upon subsequent removal of the puncturing needle there is minimal fluid loss at the needle puncture site. Some of these implantable medical devices (e.g., a graft) may also be used in applications (e.g., dialysis) where a graft may benefit from a taper portion along its length, whereby one end of the graft has a larger inside diameter than an opposing end. A typical graft that has been designed for needle puncture may include an elastomeric material (e.g., silicone) that has a consistent wall thickness along the length of the graft. A typical graft, for example, a porous expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) graft that has been manufactured with a taper has a wall thickness at large end of the taper that is less than a wall thickness at a small end of the taper, therefore potentially limiting flexibility.
These tapered grafts and low bleed grafts have functioned well in many applications, particularly for dialysis applications. These previously known grafts still have limitations and leave room for improvements, especially in difficult applications such as where a low bleed graft and a taper is desired. Therefore, it remains desirable to provide a low bleed taper graft that has desirable handling attributes. There remains a need among vascular surgeons for such a graft.